The Black Keys will be playing a Christmas show at the Akron Civic Theatre on Saturday, December 22.The West Akron bred duo doesn't play in their own backyard very often and when they have in the past it's usually been at the Lime Spider, a much smaller (and now defunct) venue than the Civic.

Tickets are $25.00 in advance, $28.00 Day of Show (I suggest not waiting until the "day of show" as you may find yourself waiting outside....by yourself.)

I forgot to mention this show in my column today (because I wrote the date wrong on my calendar, sorry) but this ought to be an interesting musical/visual experience for folks into such things.

This Saturday night at the Renaissance Performing Arts Center (138 Park Ave. West) in Mansfield, Cleveland jazz/rock/fusion instrumental band Rare Blend will be providing a live soundtrack to the 1925 silent film classic The Phantom of the Opera.

OK, that was mean but after enduring (metaphorical) reams of righteously indignant and occasionally crazy emails regarding Mr. Aiken and his career trajectory, I'm gonna let that title stand.

Anyway, remember way back when Clay Aiken was really famous and one of the compliments (albeit a left-handed one in some cases) often paid to him by the media and regular people who were less than enthralled with his unique charms was that he had a perfect voice, singing style and stage presence for Broadway?

On Friday, December 14th, at Quicken Loans Arena the incomparable BARRY MANILOW will perform for one night only! Manilow has been riding a successful series of albums dubbed Barry Manilow Sings the Greatest Song of the...with set dedicated to the 50's, 60's and 70's.

So on Tuesday Radiohead will release their new album IN RAINBOWS.What? You say you didn't know?You hadn't seen any obnoxious displays in your local Best Buy or Walmart heralding the recorded return of the artsy Brit Band that sells a ton of records and sells out concert tours?

Well, neither did the record industry and the aren't particularly happy about what the band is doing.

This oughta be a good one. LIVENATION announced yesterday that the one and only STEVIE WONDER will be bringing his Wonder Summer Nights, his first in a decade to Quickens Loans Arena on Tuesday, November 6.Tickets go on sale Monday October 8 and will be $49.50, $69.50 (to whom is that extra .50 going?) and an even $95. There are also a "limited number" of $200 "Gold Circle Seats" which, unless they seat me right next to Stevie's keyboard and I get to play a few chords every now and then throughout the show are simply to damned expensive.I've never seen Stevie Wonder live but I do have a fantastic bootleg of his 1973 Wonderlove band playing the Rainbow in the U.K. featuring Maniac singer/songwriter/guitarist Michael Sembello drummer Ollie Brown and bassist Reginald McBride and the backup singersReportedly it was recorded for possible release but Stevie was unhappy with the quality of the soundboard recordings. It's a shame that Stevie's Golden Period roughly 1972' Music In My Mind to 1980's Hotter Than July though many folks would exclude the 1979 "soundtrack" Journey Through The Secret Life Of PlantsIt's a loose at times seemingly freeform funked up jam session that begins with a 17 minute take on the instrumental Contusion (from Songs In The Key Of Life which had yet to be released).It's the kind of R&B show that sadly could've only happened in the 1970's. I can't think off the top of my head of any contemporary artist that would begin their show that way except maybe D'Angelo, but he only makes a record a decade.

Anyway, I recall a cousin of mine going to see Stevie sometime in the 80s and he said it was fine but the band was bloated with a big horn section (good), a phalanx of backup singers (not bad unless their obnoxious) and three keyboardists/synth players in addition to himself (way baaaad).